The project centers on a married couple (Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul) who can only find a connection through alcohol. Their marriage takes an unusual turn when the wife decides to get sober. Octavia Spencer will play the wife's best friend and sponsor, while Nick Offerman will portray the principal of the elementary school where she teaches.

James Ponsoldt is directing Smashed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Susan Burke. The movie is said to be a loose interpretation of the 1962 Blake Edwards drama Days of Wine and Roses.